


Dreaming of Paradise

by Larkawolfgirl



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Afterlife, Dreams, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Post-Canon, Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-08
Updated: 2018-04-08
Packaged: 2019-04-20 08:25:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,478
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14256897
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Larkawolfgirl/pseuds/Larkawolfgirl
Summary: He will be his boy, Carbuncle decides. He wants to see the boy smile and laugh and dream of a future even if Bahamut will not allow him it.





	Dreaming of Paradise

**Author's Note:**

> I should be writing other things but I came up with this idea last night and here we are.

The monotonous beep of a heartrate monitor continues to drone on as the fox-like doll beside the sleeping boy twitches to life. Carbuncle ruffles his ears as he readjusts to this plane of existence. It has been quite some time since he last committed himself to a child. Unlike the Astrals—so prone to capriciousness—he takes his commitments as life-long oaths. He stares at the sleeping boy, the soft tuff of hair as dark as night, the gentle curve of his sleeping form, the fragileness of his twitching movements. The Draconian has said much of the boy—his chosen king and sacrifice—but even without those words, Carbuncle can tell there is specialness running through his veins. The room thrums with magic not belonging to a messenger. Carbuncle closes his eyes, drawing magic into his tiny but powerful horn. An image of the future paints itself before his eyes. The boy is older, stance that of a true-born king, eyes burning a striking purple.

Movement draws the messenger’s attention back to the present moment. A young girl—the oracle, he knows—sits down upon the bed. Carbuncle ceases all movement but remains vigilant.

“Oh, Noct,” the girl murmurs in a beautiful Tenebrean accent. “Please get better soon.”

Before long, the girl too has fallen asleep beside the boy—Noct—on the bed. Carbuncle’s ears twitch as he looks upon him again. He is…sad and lonely. That is his true essence. Empathy sparks in the small messenger’s chest. Yes. This will be his boy, he decides. He wants to see the boy smile and laugh and dream of a future even if Bahamut will not allow him it.

Smiling benignly, Carbuncle tips his horn down to touch the child’s forehead. Noct makes a tiny noise of displeasure before his entire form softens with ease. A tinny, twittering sound fills the room as the Carbuncle doll returns to inanimate plush.

Music and laughter fill the air. Noctis opens his eyes and gazes in awe at the activity and merriment surrounding him. Carbuncle pads up to him on silent paws. He chirps a hello, laughing to himself at the look of wonder on the boy’s face when he sees him.

“Hi,” he says lifting a hand in greeting. He lowers himself to the ground to inspect him, and Carbuncle rubs his head against his cheek. “You know, you look a lot like the toy my dad gave me.”

Carbuncle chirps in agreement. A cellphone appears out of nowhere, and Carbuncle nudges it toward him. Noctis fiddles with the phone.

 _My name is Carbuncle,_ Carbuncle sends through the phone.

Noct’s eyes light up when the words appear on the phone’s screen.

“Wow. Okay…” He begins to type on the phone.

_No silly. You can talk to me._

“Oh.” The boy laughs. “I’m Noctis, but I prefer Noct. Where are we?”

 _In your dream. It’s safe here, and you can have all the fun you want._ The text is followed by a smiling face and a firework emoji.

Noctis looks around at the carnival, a broad smile forming on his face. He takes off running. “Come on, Carbuncle. Let’s play!” he calls over his shoulder.

Carbuncle does a happy flip before chasing after his sweet new boy.

The dream is an improved reproduction of a carnival King Regis took him to in Altissia a year ago. Unlike the real thing, the sun never sets, the fun never ends, and everyone is his friend. They play for a long time and Noctis smiles all the while, yet every so often Carbuncle can see the loneliness still there deep within his eyes. Something is missing.

Noctis is fishing and Carbuncle is curled up by his side. The messenger stretches and rises. Noctis is so deep into his fishing he does not notice the messenger tap him with his horn.

There it is. The missing piece.

“Noctis,” comes a gentle feminine voice behind them.

Startled, Noctis drops his fishing rod into the sea as he whirls around. “Mom?” he asks is disbelief.

“Yes, sweetie, it’s me.” A woman in her late twenties stoops down to embrace him. Her hair is the color of leaves changing in the fall, her voice the sound of a stream flowing. She strokes at the young boy’s hair and kisses at his forehead.

“Mom, I missed you so much.”

“There, there. Mommy’s here now. Everything will be alright.”

Noctis cries, but Carbuncle knows they are good tears.

It is not the real Aulea Lucis Caelum—not even Carbuncle is powerful enough to bring real people into another’s dream world—but she is a close replica and exactly what Noctis needed. They play and talk and cuddle—the three of them. If she was real, Carbuncle would like her very much. It does not take long for Noctis’ spirit back in the real world to lift because her presence. Within the blink of Carbuncle’s celestial eye, the boy is well again.

Noctis’s head is on his mother’s lap as she reads to him. Carbuncle nudges at his hand. “Mm, what is it?” the boy asks sleepily.

_You must return now. Your friends and family miss you._

Noctis looks up at his mother who continues to read as if there is no conversation taking place. “But…”

 _Luna is crying at your bedside right now and neither your father nor Iggy have slept in days. They need you, Noct._ Carbuncle continues to nudge at the boy.

“Will I see you again?”

Carbuncle chirps and swishes his tail. _I am always with you, Noct. You are my precious, sweet boy._

Noctis smiles and runs his hand over Carbuncle’s head and spine. “Thank you.”

Carbuncles chirps one more time, then places his horn to the boy’s forehead to send him back.

Carbuncle watches his sweet boy grow and learn. He’s happy to see him gain more friends: the bulky shield and his perky sister, the optimistic classmate, the attractive grease monkey, the polite child, and numerous others. His loneliness never disappears entirely, especially with the loss of his father and Lunafreya, but his three closest friends are special enough to make that okay.

If it were not for the Draconian, Noctis could be happy enough with the life he’s made for himself. Carbuncle watches with a twinge of sadness as his boy bids his special friends farewell and walks the steps toward his destiny.

The swords of his ancestors pierce him and leave him sitting broken. Carbuncle wishes to see his boy smile one more time. Perhaps the Six will not mind if he creates a world for him now that he has fulfilled his prophecy.

Just as he did so long ago, he touches his horn to Noctis’ forehead. The Astrals’ must be done with him for Carbuncle is thrust into an alternate version of the throne room. Noctis sits there with his beautiful bride Lunafreya. The king smiles, but then he sees Carbuncle and rises.

“Carbuncle?”

Carbuncle chirps happily. The magical phone appears in a glimmer of blue light. _Is this the world you wish for?_

Noctis looks to be in thought. “Are you giving me another dream?”

Carbuncle shakes his head, his long ears making a flapping sound as he does. _This is your afterlife, Noct._

Noctis looks back at Lunafreya and the throne. Carbuncle knows him well enough to guess his thoughts. Here there is still responsibility and obligation, as glorified as they are. “I miss the dream. I didn’t have to worry about anything there.”

Carbuncle chirps and taps him with his horn.

Noctis pets Carbuncle absentmindedly and tosses his fishing line into the sea once more. Music plays in the distance and laughter rings continuously. It is always a clear day here—unless Noctis wishes otherwise—and everyone is happy and kind. He can sleep whenever he wants and never eat veggies. His mother is here and his father has time for him whenever he asks. It is a wonderful paradise, so why does it feel like something is missing?

He packs his fishing rod up for a change of pace. Now that he thinks about it, food sounds pretty good right about now. “Come on, Carbuncle. Let’s eat.”

They pass by street vendors selling chocodogs and king moogle burgers, but Noctis wants something nicer and continues all the way to Maagho. The place is fancy even decorated with balloons and streamers. Noctis sits down at the nearest table and takes a look at the menu. As soon as he does, images flash in his mind’s eye of a young boy he once asked to be his friend. “Iggy?” he whispers as memories bombard him.

He makes a noise of discomfort, and Carbuncle hops onto the table and nuzzles his face. “I’m okay,” he tries to assure.

 _What’s wrong?_ Carbuncles texts.

“I wish Specs was here.”

Carbuncle sits back for a moment. Then a purple light shines from his horn bright enough to blind him. Once Noctis can see again, Ignis is inexplicably sitting there across from him.

“Ig..nis?”

“Yes, Noct?” Ignis gives him a questioning look over his menu.

“How are you here? Please tell me you didn’t die.” His breathing has picked up and Carbuncle is nuzzling at him again.

_A long time has passed for Eos, Noct._

Noctis sucks in a breath as he absorbs that information. Is everyone he knew dead by now? Could they all come join him here? He tries to remember them only to come to a blank. “Did you live a long life, Specs?”

Ignis sets his menu down with a quizzical expression. “Whatever are you talking about, Noct?”

“How and when did you die?”

“Are you alright?”

Noctis looks at Carbuncle. “Why doesn’t he remember? Why can’t I remember?”

Carbuncle makes a sad noise and lowers his head. _You cannot be carefree if you remember._

Noctis scratches at the messenger’s chin. “I get what you’re trying to do, but I want to remember. Please. I want them here, and I want to remember why I care.”

Carbuncle makes a noise he can’t decipher before purple light blinds him a second time. When he can see again, two others sit with them at the table and his head feels clearer than it has since coming to the carnival. Even that knowledge is new. Before now, the carnival had felt like the only life he had known.

The four of them stare at each other in silence for a long moment. “Majesty,” Ignis finally says.

Noctis sends him a look. “Really, Specs?” Ignis gives him a half-smile in return.

“Dude, what is going on?” Prompto asks. “Last thing I remember was my granddaughter kissing me goodbye.”

“Your granddaughter?” Noctis asks with a feeling of relief. So, he lived a long life.

“Oh, yeah.” A faint, nearly indiscernible blush forms on his cheeks. “Gladdy and I adopted.”

“You and Gladio?” Noctis glances between them.

Gladio shifts in his seat. “Is it that surprising?”

“I guessed it would happen over a year ahead of time,” Ignis says. “The Marshal never did pay me that thousand gil.”

“Come on, Iggy,” Gladio says. “Let it go. It’s been forty years.”

It’s strange thinking about this time he knows nothing about. He’s glad they had it, though. “What about you, Specs?”

“Me?” he asks as if it is an odd question. “I kept myself busy as I always did.”

Noctis leans on his elbows on the table. “That’s not really an answer. How did you die? Did you have a family?”

Ignis sets perceptive eyes on him, and Noctis takes in for the first time that his scarring is gone. “Cancer, and no, I did not have a family—aside from Prompto and Gladio’s.”

Gladio moves to throw an arm around the ex-advisor’s shoulder. “We’ll always be family—all of us.”

Noctis smiles. “What is your granddaughter’s name?”

“Ana.” Prompto beams. “Her dad’s name is Noctis.”

Noctis sucks in a breath. “Really? You named him after me?”

“Of course,” Gladio says. “You’re our best friend, Noct.”

Ignis’s expression almost looks shy and Noctis decides to speak with him alone when he can. “What all did I miss? How is Lucis?”

“Good!” Prompto says. “With Iggy running things, it got back on its feet in no time.”

Noctis’ eyebrows lift. “With Iggy running it?”

“I hardly deserve that much credit. I merely organized what to be done and when.”

“Still,” Noctis reaches across the table to nudge at his arm, “that’s amazing.”

“Why thank you, Noct.”

They chat for what must be hours if hours existed here. Eventually, Noctis glances between Prompto and Gladio. “Well, you two must want some time alone. Don’t mind me and Iggy.”

Gladio’s smile suggests he can see through Noctis’ excuse. “Come on, Prom. I’ll win you the big Chocobo plush.”

Immediately, Prompto jumps up and latches onto the ex-shield’s arm. “Ohmigod, really?” He chatters on about how wonderful Gladio is as they leave.

Noctis shakes his head fondly. Once the two of them are alone, he asks, “How about we get out of here?”

“And go where?” Ignis asks.

“It’s a surprise.”

Noctis leads them to a gondola. He wills the sun to set, painting the sky in glimmering starlight. Ignis always liked the stars. The gondola rocks gently.

“Iggy, was there a reason you never had a family?”

Ignis diverts his gaze to the star-filled sky. “I was busy.”

Noctis takes his hand in his. “Are you sure it wasn’t because of me?”

Ignis swallows and turns his gaze back to his. “I would be lying if I said there was no correlation. You were the light of my life, Noctis. Without you there, life was less worth living. Not that I took that life you gifted all of us for granted, I just had…fewer desires.”

Noctis strokes his palm. “I wish I could have been there with you.”

“I know, Noct. None of it was your fault. You know that, right?”

Noctis is the one to divert his gaze this time. “I guess.”

Ignis uses a hand to turn his face toward his. “Noctis, you were a wonderful man even at the worst of times. I loved every moment I spent with you.”

“Did you love me?” He says it as a joke but they both know it isn’t one.

“Of course,” he breathes in a tone so heavy it sounds like it’s said with his entire soul.

Just then, a loud boom sounds above them. Light sparks through the sky as firework after firework explodes. Noctis wants to say he loves him back but the noise is too loud, so instead, he leads forward and kisses him. Ignis leans into the kiss, hands holding tight to his face and hand.

This is true paradise, Noctis realizes.

From somewhere near his feet, a high-pitched chirp sounds happily.


End file.
